10 things to do with rosemary

Rosemary is a hearty herb that grows year-round. Place a pot of it in your kitchen, or plant several bushes in your yard (added bonus: it helps repel mosquitoes). Here are just some of the ways it comes in handy -- and we limited ourselves to culinary uses.

__1:__ Rosemary, dried or fresh, makes a fantastic seasoning for roasted vegetables or potatoes. Try this recipe for rosemary roasted potatoes, which comes highly recommended from assistant editor Robyn Gautschy: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with no-stick spray. Stir together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 cup chopped onion, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add potatoes and toss until coated. Spread potatoes evenly in baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown.

__2:__ Rosemary stems stripped of their leaves can be used as skewers when making kebabs. Just make sure to pick long, sturdy stems. Smaller stems can be used as pins to secure a rolled beef, pork, lamb or chicken dish.

__3:__ Combine fresh rosemary and olive oil to make a great dip for bread. It can also be used in place of olive oil to add extra flavor when cooking. To make the oil, heat one cup of extra-virgin olive oil with four sprigs of fresh rosemary over medium-low heat. Let cool before storing.

__4:__ Marinades are a good way to impart flavor into meats and vegetables. This easy rosemary marinade from Real Simple is great with chicken, lamb, shrimp and varieties of squash:

Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, one thinly sliced lemon, six rosemary sprigs, four cloves of chopped garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add two pounds of poultry, meat, seafood or vegetables and refrigerate, covered, at least 20 minutes or overnight, turning the food occasionally. Before cooking, shake excess liquid off meat or vegetables and discard marinade. Cook the food on a lightly oiled grill to desired doneness.

__5:__ After making a marinade or other seasoning with rosemary, save the stems. They can be tossed on the coals before grilling for extra aromatics.

__6:__ Rosemary pairs well with the piney flavor of gin for a twist on the classic gin and tonic. This recipe from drinksmixer.com is a light, refreshing cocktail: Place three slices of cucumber at the bottom of a highball glass. Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge into the glass and slightly muddle the cucumber. Add a sprig of rosemary and fill the glass with ice. Add two ounces gin, five ounces tonic water and a splash of soda water.

__7:__ Get a taste of a spa day at home with rosemary-infused water. Lime and orange complement the herb in this Martha Stewart recipe for lime-rosemary water: Combine two quarts spring water, two limes cut into 1/4-inch slices, two sprigs of fresh rosemary (broken into pieces) in a large pitcher. Squeeze the juice from the orange into the water and add the rind. Let steep for one hour. Serve over ice.

__8:__ Rosemary for dessert? Absolutely. Serve this rosemary syrup and candied rosemary, found at epicurious.com, with pound cake to impress your guests:

For the syrup, bring 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rosemary sprigs. Simmer until syrup reduces slightly, swirling in pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

To make the candied rosemary, using tongs to transfer rosemary sprigs from the syrup to rack and drain. Pour baker's sugar into shallow bowl. Add drained rosemary sprigs to sugar, one at a time, turning to coat thickly. Place on paper towels. Dry at least 1 hour.

__9:__ Like marinades, spice rubs are also used to impart flavor to meat. A rub also adds texture, because it forms a crispy crust on the meat when cooked. Try combining finely chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and flour as a rub for roasting small chickens or game fowls.

__10:__ Rosemary has long been used for its medicinal properties -- at least as far back as 500 B.C. Even today, rosemary tea is recognized for its powerful antioxidant properties and its ability to treat a range of physical discomforts. To make your own, steep one teaspoon of chopped rosemary in eight ounces of boiling water for 5 minutes.